Micranthes lyallii |
Micranthes integrifolia |
|
---|---|---|
Lyall's saxifrage, red-stem saxifrage |
Columbian saxifrage, grassland saxifrage, northwestern saxifrage, smooth leaf saxifrage, swamp saxifrage, whole-leaf saxifrage |
|
Habit | Plants solitary or sometimes mat-forming, rhizomatous. | Plants solitary or in clumps, (sometimes gynodioecious), often with bulbils on caudices, or short-rhizomatous. |
Leaves | basal; petiole rounded to flattened, 2–10 cm; blade spatulate to obovate, 0.8–8 cm, thin, base cuneate to slightly attenuate, margins serrate to dentate, eciliate or sparsely glandular-ciliate, surfaces abaxially glabrous, adaxially sparsely brown-hairy. |
basal; petiole flattened, 0.5–4 cm; blade narrowly to broadly ovate, 2–7 cm, ± leathery, base attenuate, margins entire or minutely denticulate, usually ciliate, surfaces sparsely to moderately hairy. |
Inflorescences | usually 10–15-flowered, lax, cylindric thyrses, (red), (4–)7–30 cm, sparsely purple-tipped stipitate-glandular. |
(15–)20+-flowered, open to ± congested, conic thyrses, (usually branched, lateral cymules ± open), 12–35 cm, densely pink- to purple-tipped stipitate-glandular. |
Flowers | sepals reflexed, oblong to elliptic; petals white, each with 2 basal yellowish green spots, elliptic to round, clawed, 2–5.5 mm, longer than sepals; filaments club-shaped, (to 6 mm); pistils connate 1/2+ their lengths; ovary superior, (to 1/3 adnate to hypanthium). |
sepals spreading to slightly reflexed, ovate; petals white, not spotted, obovate, clawed, 2–4 mm, longer than sepals; filaments linear, flattened; pistils connate to 1/2 their lengths; ovary 1/2+ inferior. |
Capsules | green to yellow, distal 1/2 purple, ± folliclelike, (basally connate). |
reddish or purplish, folliclelike. |
2n | = ca. 56, 58. |
= 38. |
Micranthes lyallii |
Micranthes integrifolia |
|
Phenology | Flowering summer–early autumn. | Flowering late winter–spring. |
Habitat | Wet, rocky meadows, mountain to alpine streamsides | Vernally moist meadows, grassy slopes, rock outcrops |
Elevation | 800-4000 m (2600-13100 ft) | 0-1800 m (0-5900 ft) |
Distribution |
AK; ID; MT; WA; AB; BC; NT; YT
|
CA; OR; WA; BC
|
Discussion | Although they have nearly disjunct sets of populations, the subspecies of Micranthes lyallii are difficult to distinguish from each other. The more northern plants tend to be larger with wider leaves and often have been called Saxifraga lyallii subsp. or var. hultenii. Apparent hybrids with M. odontoloma occur in Alberta, British Columbia, and northern Idaho, and near Glacier National Park, Montana. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
The occasional occurrence of sterile pollen has been noted in this as well as in other species of Micranthes (as Saxifraga, K. I. Beamish 1961). Some populations exhibit gynodioecism (P. E. Elvander 1982). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 8, p. 57. | FNA vol. 8, p. 67. |
Parent taxa | Saxifragaceae > Micranthes | Saxifragaceae > Micranthes |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Saxifraga lyallii, Saxifraga lyallii subsp. hultenii, Saxifraga lyallii var. hultenii | Saxifraga integrifolia |
Name authority | (Engler) Small: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 143. 1905 , | (Hooker) Small: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 137. 1905 , |
Web links |
|